Summary

We are the public body that looks after England’s historic environment. We champion historic places, helping people understand, value and care for them.

We have an exciting opportunity for a Heritage at Risk Project Officer to join our team. This is a 12 month FTC.

What you will be doing

Heritage at Risk Projects Officers will provide expert advice on the planning, funding and delivery of heritage at risk projects across the range of asset types in the South West. Applying the ethos of ‘constructive conservation’ they will work closely with owners, local authorities and with partner agencies to negotiate effective projects, identify funding and facilitate consents. They will report on project progress, update the HAR Register, and contribute to associated administration and public promotion of Heritage at risk cases and themes. 

Main duties and responsibilities:

1.      To work proactively and creatively with owners, local authorities, statutory bodies, building preservation trusts, developers and funding bodies etc. to promote a sustainable and viable future for historic assets on the HAR Register and advise and implement strategic and project-based solutions for Heritage at Risk.

2.      To work closely with funding bodies (such as Natural England / Heritage Lottery Fund etc.) to identify sources of grant aid (such as Countryside Stewardship Scheme funding) for HAR assets and encourage and facilitate applications for support.

3.      To use Historic England’s local and national resources such as grant aid, management experience and specialist resources to achieve long-term reduction in threat to designated assets.

4.      To work with owners, Local Authorities and voluntary groups in order to monitor HAR assets and when necessary, encourage their repair/consolidation/reuse.  To help colleagues develop and build capacity to tackle Heritage at Risk,

5.      To support the maintenance and updating of the local HAR (Heritage Asset Management Database) and Register using information obtained either by Historic England or suitably informed partners and volunteers, or by remote methods such as aerial reconnaissance.

6.      To support colleagues in developing and building capacity in the sector to find sustainable solutions for heritage at risk.

7.      To assist the Development Advice teams with actions in respect of unauthorised works and damage to heritage assets, as agreed with the Team Leader and in liaison with HE legal advisers and police.

8.      To give specialist advice on project planning, recording, archaeological evaluation and building analysis and other investigations leading to repair.

9.      To be an effective advocate for the benefit for local places of conserving heritage assets.

10.  To support the delivery of Corporate Plan, Regional Plan, Historic England Places Strategy, Public Value Framework, and other national and local strategies as agreed with line management.

11.  To undertake any other reasonable duties commensurate with the grade and competences required of the post requested by line management.

N.B.

Please note that the role requires regular travel to sites not serviced by public transport.

The role may require visiting/inspecting sites which is likely to require climbing scaffolding and negotiating confined spaces (e.g. church roofs etc).

The role will require occasional attendance at community meetings which are usually held at evenings or weekends.

What we are looking for

•  A degree or equivalent in a relevant discipline

•  Substantial experience of working constructively with owners and other partners to repair and manage heritage assets, supporting and engaging communities.

•  Good knowledge of the principles and building and monument conservation as exemplified in Conservation Principles.

•  Ability to tackle Heritage at Risk challenges in a practical and creative way maximising benefits for communities and owners.

•  Ability to adapt communication styles to a variety of circumstances

• Excellent teamworking skills

We are an equal opportunity employer which values diversity and inclusion. If you have a disability or neurodiversity, we would be happy to discuss reasonable adjustments to the job with you. Having just won the Gold Award from MIND, we also recognise the importance of a healthy work-life balance.

We are an inclusive employer and believe that flexible working options are for everyone. We want to make sure our working arrangements don’t prevent anyone from joining us because of their personal circumstances. We also want to provide you with the best balance in your home and work life that we can.

We are open to considering options including job sharing, part-time working, compressed hours working and different working locations, including hybrid working. Please visit our jobs pages or contact us to find out more.

Why work for Historic England

We offer a wide benefits package including a competitive pension scheme starting at 26% contributions, a generous 28 days holiday, corporate discounts, free entry into English Heritage sites across the country, and development opportunities to ensure you achieve your goals.

We are committed to promoting equality of opportunity for everyone. Diversity helps us to perform better and attract more people to support our work. We welcome and encourage job applications from people of all backgrounds.

We particularly encourage applications from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates and candidates with disabilities as they are underrepresented within Historic England at this level.

Historic England want all of our candidates to shine in the recruitment process. Please tell us what we can do to make sure you can show us your very best. You can contact us by email at ResourcingTeam@Historicengland.org.uk or telephone 07763387811 if you have any recruitment queries.

To ensure a fair and inclusive recruitment process for everyone the use of AI or automated tools is not permitted.

Provisional Interview date week commencing 10th July 2023 via Microsoft Teams.

For a copy of the job description, please click on the following link;

https://historicengland.org.uk/content/job-descriptions-hr/harpo-jd-1/